A Soldier's Heart
by Daemonchan
Summary: Sequel to Children of Maxwell: Erin is kidnapped to force Heero out of retirement...Can Duo save her before it's too late? Children of Maxwell available on my personal site


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A Soldier's Heart

A Gundam Wing Fan Fiction

by Daemonchan

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**This story is a sequel to "The Children of Maxwell". Go back and read the story if you haven't, or else you'll be so lost no one will ever find you again.**

**WARNINGS: 1x2, violent situations and shounen ai**

**Duo is called 'father' or 'dad', since they are the American forms, and Heero is called 'otousan' or 'tousan', the Japanese form. They are both 26 years old, and Erin is nearing her "thirteenth" birthday. Since she was a war orphan, they don't know her real birth date but doctors determined her to be about seven when she was adopted.**

~*~*~

~*Six years after "The Children of Maxwell", Heero and Duo are happily married and raising their adopted daughter, Erin. Together they maintain the orphanage of the rebuilt Maxwell's Church, and enjoy the peace that they fought so hard for.*~

"Erin-chan!"

"Shimasen! I didn't do it!"

Duo stared down at his daughter, watching her squirm with guilt. Her best friend, Adrian, stood beside her, engrossed in the hardwood floor. The twelve-year-old boy had become her shadow since he had come to the orphanage, and was often her partner in crime. 

Duo sighed and knelt in front of her. "How many times have we asked you NOT to touch Tousan's computer?"

Erin smiled slightly. "A zillion..."

Her American dad didn't fall for her cuteness. "Well, here's a zillion and one. Please go to your room. Get ready for this afternoon."

The skinny twelve year old turned, grabbing Adrian's hand as she went. The boy gave Duo a pleading look before falling into step beside her. They had disappeared up the stairs when Duo felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up into the dark cobalt eyes of his husband, amusement lighting the blue depths. Heero smiled, a gesture that had begun to wear at the corners of his mouth now that it had become a common occurrence on his face.

Duo sighed deeply and buried his head in his hands. "God! She's becoming more like me every day! How did you guys ever put up with me?"

"There were times when I meant 'omae o korosu'. Fortunately, you had Quatre making sure none of us made good on our threats."

"Ha ha, Yuy."

Heero turned his husband, arms falling around his waist. "Just think...in a few years she'll start dating..."

"Watch your mou..." 

Heero's lips stopped his words. His mind flashed back to the night Heero had shown up at his orphanage, a half-starved Erin in his arms. The tiny girl had healed the breach between them; the rift that had been created when Heero had left Duo behind to discover what he was without the war. 

Duo drew back, breathless. "Daisuki da, Heero-koi."

"Hai. Ai shiteru." Heero released the other young man, patting him gently on the butt. "You'd better go get Erin ready. They'll be expecting you at the park."

With a sigh, Duo turned, his braid swinging over his shoulder. "The things I'll do for charity. Are you sure you won't come?"

Heero laughed. "Chotto ga..."

"Yeah, yeah...all that Preventer consulting with Wu. Well, have fun." With a wave, Duo disappeared into the house, leaving his lover to watch him leave the kitchen. He heard the American's voice yell up the stairs and waited for the sharp footsteps of Erin and Adrian to tumble down. He was truly envious that Duo would get to spend the day at the park with their daughter, but Heero had promised to help Wufei on some casework. He would have to make it up to Erin later. He turned to the garage after he heard the front door slam and left to face his own day.

~*~*~

Duo leaned back in the chair, turning his face up to the artificial sun. He pulled down his dark glasses for a moment to watch Erin and Adrian running around the field, dodging the other children in a game of tag. The park was unique; L2 hadn't seen so much green in over a decade. Certainly not when Duo was living there. The colony was slowly being pulled out of its poverty by Relena's efforts to bring equality along with her peace. 

The other children were from various orphanages, and a few prospective families had been invited to the get together to give them a chance to pick out a child for their family.

"Today was a good day, Maxwell." The man who had spoken was an elderly priest, his black sleeves rolled up in the midday heat. He was the head of another orphanage across colony and a very good friend of Duo's.

Duo turned to his companion, and smiled brightly. "Hai, Father Brian. A good day."

Today was the kind of day when Duo found himself forgetting anything that happened before his seventeenth birthday. His new life and history had begun the day he and Heero had made love, and then married. Nothing else mattered.

The former Gundam pilot found himself drifting into a comfortable doze. The children's voices faded for a moment, but came back full force when he recognized the word that one child shouted over and over.

"Erin! C'mon, this isn't funny anymore! I give up!"

Sudden panic drove Duo to his feet, his eyes gazing across the field to where Adrian stood alone, calling out his friend's name. He ran to the youth, grabbing the boy by his shoulders.

"Where's Erin?"

Adrian was near tears, his face streaked with dirt. "She was playing near the edge of the field, near the trees. When I turned around, she was gone."

Duo felt the soldier in him return, thankfully before the hysterical parent had had a chance to seize control. He would have to stay calm if he wanted to find Erin. Chances were that she had just wandered off, and he would find her in the trees, but years as a pilot had given him instincts that never lied. And they were telling him that Erin was in trouble.

He dashed to where Adrian had said Erin was playing last, kneeling in the crushed leaves on the forest floor. He found her footprints easily, as well as heavier boot prints.

_Someone took her._

Even the soldier in him lost to the rage that clouded his vision. Someone had dared to touch the child he called daughter. He ran into the trees, eyes trained on the ground as he followed the signs of broken and crushed twigs and plants. His efforts were rewarded when he could hear his quarry just ahead, Erin's voice ringing through the shadowed trees.

"Do you have ANY idea who my fathers are? Do you know what they'll do to you when they find you?"

The voice that answered her chilled Duo. "We know everything about your fathers. Why do you think you're here?"

Without a second thought Duo dove through the trees, knocking aside the huge soldier that was bringing up the rear of the group. The others turned, the one holding Erin falling back behind them. Duo was suddenly aware of the fact that he was outnumbered...and probably about to get his ass kicked.

"Just don't kill him."

Duo didn't see who gave the order before he was set on by the three men, fighting and kicking his way towards where his daughter screamed for him. His luck ran out as one soldier laid a heavy blow across his jaw, knocking him back into a tree. The world spun and Erin's voice rose in pitch. Duo thought his heart was breaking as he watched the soldiers drag the girl away, still shouting for her dad.

"Erin-chan..." 

Duo could no longer hold onto consciousness. The last thing he remembered before he slipped to the ground was thinking how sorry those men would be when Heero caught up to them. Then he knew no more.

~*~*~

"And that time we locked his braid in the door and he sat there for a day and half! I don't think I've heard that many expletives this side of a dock!"

Wufei laughed, wiping tears from his eyes. It was so easy now, to reminisce about the happier times: the small interjections of happiness in the war. He found that he enjoyed the new Heero Yuy Maxwell, a boy who had turned his own life around with the help of a certain braided baka and a child that had awakened his heart.

The Chinese pilot himself had changed. He had lost his thirst for justice and revenge after the destruction of the Altron Custom. Peace had become more important to him and the Preventers gave him the opportunity to maintain the ideal they had all bled for.

There was a knock at the office door and Wufei's secretary poked her dark head in. "There's a call for Mr. Maxwell Yuy on line 2."

"Thank you, Marie." 

Heero picked up the phone, flashing Wufei a confused look. "This is Heero Maxwell Yuy."

"Greetings, Perfect Soldier."

The deep voice stopped Heero's heart for a moment. It was obviously being filtered through a voice-warping device so that Heero would be unable to recognize it.

"We have a new mission for you."

Heero's anger came to the surface. "I'm retired."

He could hear the smirk in the other's voice as they continued to outline their plan. "You will assassinate the Ambassador from South America as he begins his opening speech at the Conference two days from now."

"Are you deaf? I'm not a soldier anymore."

"We have something that may change your mind."

Erin's voice came through the receiver. Heero nearly dropped the phone and his vision clouded with rage. 

"Otousan? Otousan, onegai..."

"Where is she you bastards? What have you done with my daughter?"

Wufei gasped in horror as Heero screamed into the phone. Heero was talking to kidnappers and the gods only knew what they were demanding of the former pilot.

"Remember the assignment, Yuy. Remember your daughter."

"Who are you? Why are you doing this??"

The voice paused again, as if smiling. "Oh, and you may want to check on your husband as well. Wouldn't want this to become a tragedy now would we?"

The line was dead and Heero's mind spiraled in panic. Why was this happening to him? He had left the Perfect Soldier behind, left the killing in the past with his destroyed Gundam. Why did everything he loved get caught in the crossfire?

With a terrifying scream, he swept everything off the top of Wufei's desk, making the Chinese pilot jump in surprise. Wufei fell into a defensive stance, ready to face Heero should his Perfect Soldier persona come out in his anger. Instead he rushed to catch his friend as the young man collapsed to the floor, the anger visibly draining from his body.

Heero sat with his legs crossed, head down to his chest. His muscular frame shook with hard sobs and tears had already soaked the front of his shirt. Wufei leaned in closer as he realized that his friend was talking.

"They have Erin-chan. They want me to kill again." The Japanese man choked on a sigh. "I can't. Not again."

Wufei gathered the distraught youth into his arms, struck again by how much Heero had changed. During the war it would have been unthinkable to make physical contact without risking your own life and limbs. Now he clung to Wufei like a drowning man.

"Have to find…have to find Duo."

The words drove Heero to his feet, his body exhausted by his outburst. He leaned heavily into Wufei for a moment before some of his old self returned. Wufei could see the change pass through Heero's frame, the steel and determination of the Perfect Soldier guiding Heero through the crisis.

Marie came through the door, looking about the office cautiously. She had not investigated the noise in the first place, being used to Wufei acting out physical violence on the unsuspecting contents of his office. She was not prepared, however, for the bedraggled youth with bloodshot eyes staring at her as if he had suddenly come to the decision to kill her.

"Wu…Wufei. Quatre Winner called. He said that Duo Maxwell Yuy is in the hospital and you should find Heero…"

She stopped as she realized what she was saying. The man before _was_ Heero Maxwell Yuy. That meant that the young man in the hospital was his husband, and was most likely badly injured. She had delivered terrible news without thinking.

"Hai, Marie. Arigatou. Bring the car around."

Marie left with a nod. Wufei started out the door, glancing back at the Japanese man. "C'mon, Heero. Duo needs you right now."

The other's answer sent a chill down Wufei's spine. "Hai. Then I will hunt down the bastard who took my daughter." He looked up at his companion with a cold smile, a shadow of the Perfect Soldier darkening his cobalt eyes. "And I will kill him."

~*~*~

Duo opened his eyes to the sterile white of a hospital room, his head throbbing in time with his heart. He winced slightly, suddenly sure that concussions were just as painful now as they had been when he was a Gundam pilot.

"O'to?"

He forced his eyes to focus on the voice, smiling as he realized that it was a very worried Heero who sat at his bedside.

"Oi, koibito." His voice was dry and soft, making him wonder just how long he'd been out.

"You've been asleep for half a day."

Yeah, it felt like it. His arms were leaden, and his abdomen twinged every time he breathed. Probably got worked over _after_ he lost consciousness…

Duo gasped as the memories flooded back. He could still hear Erin's screams as she called for her father and otousan to rescue her, still hear the voice of the man who had carried his daughter away. Tears formed in the corner of his eyes. It had been a long time since he had felt such despair, and been so helpless to do anything about it.

The last time had been when Sister Helen died in his arms.

Heero saw his husband's violet eyes widen. He watched the play of emotions, unable to anything more than assure Duo that he was there for him. 

"Duo…"

Duo drew himself back from the brink of hysteria. Losing it now wouldn't help their daughter. "Daijoubu, Hee-chan. Nan desu ka?"

"They contacted me."

The American sat up in bed, his headache forgotten. "When? What did they want? Did you talk to Erin-chan?"

Heero fielded the questions, pushing Duo back onto the bed. "They called Wufei's office. They knew I was there, just like they knew you and Erin-chan would be at the park. I spoke with her for a second. She sounded okay, just scared."

Heero could hear his daughter's voice over and over in his head, her final plea. _Onegai…please…_

"What did they want? Heero?"

The concern in Duo's voice brought Heero out of his reverie. "They wanted the Perfect Soldier. I told them I was no longer a soldier. But they know…"

Duo sat up again, his hand gripping Heero's arm in worry. "What do they know, Heero?" His voice was nothing more than a whisper but he was sure his g_oshujin_ heard him.

"They know that…once a soldier, always a soldier. If it means Erin-chan's life…I would become the Perfect Soldier again." He looked at Duo, tears streaming down his cheeks. "I would kill again, embrace the person Dr. J created if it meant I could save our daughter!"

He fell across Duo's lap, sobbing uncontrollably. Duo stroked his back gently, understanding how the admission had cost Heero. The Japanese ex-pilot would willingly embrace the darkness to save the child who had saved his soul…and given him back the man he loved.

Duo could feel himself aching to give into his tears but his years as Shinigami would not allow it. Instead he closed his eyes, and drew Heero close to his chest.

"It will not come to that, koibito. I will not lose you both."

Heero pulled himself up onto the bed, relaxing into Duo's embrace. He sighed and fell asleep. Duo drew the covers up over them both, thoughts of revenge quickly fading to dreams where he got to enact his desires…

~*~*~

Duo was impatient to be released. Heero had left earlier, returning to the church in case the kidnappers called again. Wufei was the only unfortunate soul left to take Shinigami home. He waited as Duo dressed himself, pretending not to notice when the other winced as he buttoned up his black shirt over the sensitive ribcage.

Wufei was disturbed by the calm that had overcome his two comrades. It was nearly the same as when they had fought together in the war, but it was deeper somehow, more mature. They had more at stake then just their lives anymore. They worried for a girl who had become as their own flesh and blood.

Duo's cell rang as he slipped on his leather jacket. "Moshi?"

Heero's voice answered him. "They've contacted me. I'm to pick up a dossier on my target. They are leaving the details of the…mission…up to me."

"Wakkata. Was there anything else?"

There was a pause. "I brought Father Brian to watch the children."

Duo nodded absently as he put his other arm into its sleeve, catching onto the significance of the sudden subject change. "Good choice. Should we watch our language around the kids?"

There was still enough soldier in both of them to know better than to trust an open cell line. Duo could almost see Heero's nod. "They are watching us," he answered, indicating that the call was secure. "They did not say, but I caught one of their tails earlier today when I returned to the church."

"Not very good are they?"

Heero laughed shortly. "No, they figure we will behave ourselves. I think they believe we have gotten soft in our old age."

Duo shared Heero's joke with Wufei. The former pilot smirked. "I believe they are right."

Ignoring Duo's yell of dismay, Wufei snagged the phone from the American's hands. "What do you want us to do?"

"I want you to lose your followers and try to find Erin. These people are arrogant pigs. They don't think we will ever be able to find her on our own…not until it's too late to turn back. Start at the park and work from there."

Wufei nodded and hung up the phone, tossing it to a surprised Duo. "Move it, Maxwell. I've got a niece to find."

"Yoshi! Let's go!"

~*~*~

"Ne, Wufei…What do you make of this?

Wufei joined his companion at the edge of a fence, on the outer perimeter of the park. They had tracked Erin through the thick foliage, glad that her kidnappers hadn't seen fit to hide their passage. Still, it was near sunset when they came to the end of the strewn leaves that had been trailed from the trees, the line ending in a garbage strewn alleyway.

He saw a hole had been cut in the chain link fence that separated the alley from a warehouse beyond. He peeled it back, making it wide enough for himself and Duo to crawl through. Duo had gotten pretty tall in the years after the war.

The warehouse was obviously abandoned; no glass remained in the windows and most of the brick walls had collapsed on themselves. They headed for the nearest opening, bringing out their flashlights to see into the darkened interior.

The kidnappers may have been careless coming out of the woods, but they made up for it in the empty room of the warehouse. Neither Duo nor Wufei could find any sign of passage. Their trail had come to an end.

Suddenly, Duo could feel his cell vibrating in his pocket. "Moshi?"

"I'm going to pick up my assignment. Any sign of Erin-chan?"

The worry in Heero's voice made Duo wince. "We followed her trail to a warehouse. We're about to scour the place from top to bottom right now."

Heero sighed heavily. "Hai. Be careful, koi. Daisku da."

"Hai. Boku mou."

"Well, we can split this place into two sections. That'll cut down the search area. " Duo turned to his Chinese companion. "So, Wu…heads or tails?"

~*~*~

Heero glanced around the busy station, easily spotting his clumsy tail. Even though he had been shaken at least three times already, he kept coming back to his post. Heero wasn't sure if he should admire the guy or scare him into a new line of work.

He walked down a row of benches, counting carefully. Taking a seat, he nonchalantly reached under the wood and removed the manila folder that held his assignment. He rose quickly, heading back to his car. Once there, he spread the contents of the folder on his passenger seat, studying the black and white pictures carefully.

The man was no older than Heero himself, a new leader of his county who supported Relena's ideals wholeheartedly. He was coming to this conference to announce his intention to follow in the Sanq Kingdom's footsteps and completely disarm his country.

And there were people who wanted to make sure that his sacrifice was made into an abject lesson.

He had another evening to delay his mission. He would make a good show for his tail, checking out the palace where the event would be held and search for excellent sniping areas. He would wait until the last possible moment, sure that Duo would find Erin before he had to pull the trigger.

Heero smiled at his tail in the rearview mirror, and drove off towards the building where the Conference would be. A little tour of a historical landmark wouldn't hurt anybody…though it would hopefully bore his tail to tears…

~*~*~

"Aw! K'so!"

Duo stretched his aching back, settling into a perch on a pile of fallen ceiling. He and Wufei had been searching the condemned building for hours and still had no clue as to where Erin had been taken. He yawned again when his phone began vibrating.

"Hai?"

"Daddy?"

Duo's heart stopped. Could this be a trap? 

"Erin-chan? Daijoubu?"

"I'm fine, Daddy."

Duo collapsed the floor as he heard the fear in his daughter's voice. All suspicion fled from his mind as he hurried to reassure her. "Honey, do you know where you are?"

"No…I hit the man who brought me my food. I grabbed his phone, not really sure I could use it. Then I just ran. I'm in a whole bunch of tunnels. I'm lost."

She broke down into tears. Duo whispered into the phone, trying to get her attention. "Erin-chan…I need you to tell me how you got down in the tunnels."

Erin's sobs subsided into sniffles. "They moved a whole pile of bricks. It covered up an old sewer drain."

Duo jumped up as if he'd been bitten. There were only a few piles in the warehouse. That would narrow the search completely. "Erin-chan, I need you to do one more thing. Can you count to one hundred very slowly and then call me back? I need to get Wufei-ojisan."

Erin's voice brightened at the thought of her uncle helping out her father. "Hai, daddy." Her old humor resurfaced. "Ichi, ni, san…"

Duo couldn't help but smile even as he hung up on her. He looked about him, then opted for the quickest way to get Wufei's attention.

"WUFEI CHANG!!"

His voice shook the not so sturdy ceiling, bringing dust down to the floor. Wufei appeared in moments, ready for a fight. He shook his head and sighed as he realized what Duo had done, but refrained from strangling the baka as he related the conversation he'd had with Erin.

"Can we find her down there using the cell phone?"

Wufei was silent for a moment, then extended his hand for the phone. He punched a few numbers and began speaking in hushed tones to the person on the other end. Duo strained to hear what was being said but gave up when Wufei humored him with an evil look. The call ended quickly and Wufei handed back the phone.

"My contacts will trace Erin-chan's signal and be able to give us a general direction to head in. We'll have to triangulate every three or four minutes. It's unlikely we'll have a map of the sewer below this building."

Wufei groaned as he found himself caught in Duo's embrace. "Enough of that! Get ready for Erin's call."

~*~*~

Erin was finding it hard to stay awake within her cramped hiding space. She hadn't really slept or ate in over a day, and it was tough to keep counting to one hundred so she could call her father. She dialed the cell phone for what must have been the eight time. Her courage returned every time she heard Duo speak, and knew that he was coming for her. He would find her no matter what it took.

"Daddy?"

"Guess what, baby?"

Erin drew back in surprise, thrown off by the echoing quality of Duo's call. Had the phone gone bad from the extended use?

She nearly screamed as she felt an arm brush hers. She turned as quickly as the cramped space would allow and saw her father reaching into the wall space. With difficulty, she slithered her way out collapsing into Duo's arms.

"Oh, Daddy. I knew you'd find me."

Duo could feel himself on the edge of crying and laughing, wanting to shout to the whole world that his daughter was safe…but there were still so many things to do. He waited a moment, etching the feel of the girl in his memory forever.

"Hai, musume. Itsumo."

~*~*~

Heero had never been nervous during a mission. Emotions were to be placed second, they had no place in a soldier's heart. But now…his soul dreaded what he might have to do. To take another life; to 'cause another war…more orphans like Erin…

_No!_ he shouted to himself. Duo would not fail. The former Shinigami would not give up until Erin was safe in their arms.

Heero had set himself up on the rooftop of a building directly across from the palace, giving himself a perfect view of the limos as they pulled up to drop off their passengers. He watched as the South American ambassador's car came to a stop, the chauffeur getting out to open the rear door. 

Spots danced before his eyes and Heero forced himself to breath. He hunched down over the rifle he had set up, lining up the ambassador within his 'scope. One more moment and he would be forced to complete his mission…for the sake of his daughter…

Sudden ringing brought his head around. There would be only one person calling him now, at this moment. He flipped open the cell, nearly shouting with relief.

"Duo!"

~*~*~

Hero walked down the dank sewer corridors, slowly making his way to where Duo and Erin would be waiting for him.

He stopped as he caught sight of Wufei, the other lounging against a cement wall. A doorway lay to his left and Heero could see banks of computers lying just inside. Wufei smiled and gestured him in.

"Duo and Erin will be waiting when you get done."

Heero merely nodded, feeling the stirrings of the Perfect Soldier. His face was set in a mask of stone, and he drew a gun from the waistband of his pants. It seemed almost anti-climatic to just shoot the bastard responsible, but he'd settle for the satisfaction of seeing…

He stopped in shock as he saw the figure tied to the tall leather chair with a length of rope. It was a young man, younger even than Heero. He was dressed in old OZ uniform, with a sergeant's insignia. 

_This is the man who wanted to create a world war?_

"Who are you?"

Heero saw the soldier stiffen with fear at his voice. "Sergeant Egan. I'm the leader of White Fang."

The ex-Gundam pilot barely chocked back a derisive snort. Heero looked down the barrel of his gun at the soldier who sat cowering before him. This man could now see why the Japanese pilot had been chosen for Operation Meteor…and why he had won the war. There was no emotion in the cobalt eyes and the would-be leader of White Fang could see he would die without even a twitch of conscience.

"You have no idea what you tried to start. With one bullet you would have made me cause a war that would have made the battle against OZ look like a party. And I would have done it too…"

He pulled the trigger. Warmth flowed down the sergeant's leg as he lost control, but it was a moment before he realized that he was still alive.

He caught the half smile that twitched across Heero's lips. "But I don't have to kill anymore. Never again."

Heero threw the gun aside and strode from the room, his Perfect Soldier façade fading as he saw Erin and Duo waiting for him in the hallway. Duo was dirty from head to toe and Erin looked much like when he had discovered her living among the rubble on L2.

With a cry, Erin buried herself in Heero's chest. "Tousan!"

Heero smiled as he felt Duo's arms go around his shoulders. "Shujin."

Again, Heero could feel the Perfect Soldier slipping away from him, only this time was more like a fond farewell. The persona had saved his life, and the life of his family. And Heero fervently hoped that he would never be called forth again.

"Let's go home."

~*Owari*~

~*~*~

**This turned out a LOT more serious than the Children of Maxwell ever was. However, it took me just about as long to write it. ^_^**

Shimasen-"I didn't do it!"

Daisuki da-"I love you."

Chotto ga-"I'm sorry, but…"

O'to-informal word for husband

Goshujin (shujin)-polite form of husband

Yoshi-"All right!"

Boku mou-"Me too."

Musume-daughter

Istumo-"Always."


End file.
